Charlesbridge Holiday Gift Guide 2024: Perfect Children's Books For Your Readers 0

'Tis the season and time to search for the perfect present for children and families. For book lovers, we have a great selection. Be sure to check out our holiday gift guide for more recommendations.

Our holiday gift guide includes the perfect books for:

• Winter Holidays
• Pre-Schoolers
• Spanish Readers
• Science Lovers
• Picture Book Favorites
• Ages 8 and Up
• Storytime

Winter Holiday Gifts for Kids:

For fans of the holidays this winter, we have plenty of titles to share from Gingerbread Dreidels, celebrating both Chanukah on Christmas day. Or, maybe a classic like Latkes and Applesauce, which celebrates a special Hanukkah moment. Sometimes, plans don’t go as planned and holiday traditions are interrupted like in Just Us.

Gifts for Preschoolers:

We have a range of board books for little listeners. Indigenous titles like On Powwow Day and We Are Grateful Ostaliheliga: Seasons will captivate the little ones. Or, if they enjoy dinosaurs, they’ll love Baby Loves Paleontology. We also have a series of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Babies board books imparting life lessons, which warm the heart with heaping spoonfuls of good humor.

Gifts for Spanish Readers: 

We have an amazing collection of Spanish language books. Readers can explore superstitions in La mala suerte me sigue. They can follow along with adorable Adela as she tries to find her place in a mariachi band in Los mariachis de Adela. Nonfiction lovers can learn about axolotls in No es un monstruo. If a child has trouble speaking Spanish, they can learn how to communicate in Un graznido en espanol and that it’s okay to not be perfect, but that trying is what matters.

Science Books for Kids:

Any readers looking for women who paved the way for others will enjoy She Sells Seashells, a story about Mary Anning, an unlikely paleontologist. If a young reader loves dinosaurs, then they’ll love Dinosaurs Can Be Small. Know someone crazy for robots? They'll love How to Explain Robotics to a Grown-Up, a playful STEM picture book filled with fun facts, empowering kid experts to explore complex scientific concepts with their grown-up.

Gifts for Picture Book Faves:

We have a huge variety of picture books, many of them favorites for different reasons. If your reader loves fairy tale retellings, Mahogany is a delightful contemporary retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Basketball fans will love the motivational picture book, If Lin Can. ARTificial Intelligence is a fn story for creative kids who also love tech. Of course, we can’t forget about unicorn fans. They’ll find delight in the father-daughter book, Giddy Up, Unicorn.

Gifts for Ages 8 and Up:

We kicked off our new middle grade fiction imprint Charlesbridge Moves this year. Hum is a llama rescue adventure for readers who love something fast-paced. Novel-in-verse lovers will enjoy Wings to Soar. And if your reader is a wild wild west fan, they'll enjoy The Kid. These books are great gifts for reluctant readers packed with adventure, engaging characters, and compelling stories. One cool feature sure to delight your reader is the poster on the other side of the cover and the QR code leading to a dedicated page with extra content to explore.

Gifts for Storytime Reads:

Lastly, we have great storytime books like Is That the Bus? exploring different vehicles and the sounds they make. There’s the rhythmic Every Here Has a There, and the action-packed picture book, Clack, Clack! Smack!, about Cherokee stickball. And, anyone who enjoys fun wordplay and food will love Pickle Words.

Once again, if you want more recommendations, please check out our holiday gift guide for a more comprehensive list.

Fall 2024 Preview Recap – Enjoy Autumn With These Children’s Books 0

How Do Babies Learn Best? Focus on FUN! 0

by Ruth Spiro

As author of the Baby Loves Science books, my goal is to help make complex science concepts accessible to everyone, and also share ideas about how parents and caregivers can turn everyday experiences into learning opportunities for their little ones.

Among the many hot topics in education today, “STEM” seems to be leading the pack. Incorporating more Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) into school curriculums has been recognized as a priority, and that’s great. But many professionals believe that in order to prevent achievement gaps down the line, STEM education should begin earlier—with infants as young as six months old.

But aren’t babies and toddlers too young to understand science? Surprisingly, no. In a recent study at Johns Hopkins, researchers showed eleven-month-old babies “tricks” in which a toy seemed to defy gravity. The babies showed a keen interest—their surprise and extended attention was an indication they already have an understanding of basic physics. In other studies, research has shown that early introduction to STEM activities helps develop motor skills, reasoning ability, and even problem solving.

From Baby Loves Quarks! Text copyright (c) 2016 by Ruth Spiro.
Illustration copyright (c) 2016 by Irene Chan.

But there’s no need for flash cards or formal instruction—especially not for babies! Instead, focus on having fun while adding some beneficial activities to playtime:

• Talk: Name objects, gesture, and describe what you’re doing to grow vocabulary.
• Sing and clap: A sense of rhythm helps with language acquisition.
• Count, match, and sort: These activities lay the foundation for early math.

The simplest way to find resources for all these activities is within the pages of picture books. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents read with their child every day, and it’s never too early to start. Even the youngest infant will benefit from hearing the sound of your voice and the rhythm of the language. As you read the Baby Loves Science board books, name the colors, shapes, animals, and other familiar things you see.

Reading together also helps develop STEM-related skills. Hearing the parts of a story—beginning, middle, and end—lays the foundation for understanding sequencing, important in math and science. Making predictions about what will happen next in a story is also excellent practice for later success in science, technology, and engineering. Asking fun questions such as “What do you think will happen when Bird flaps her wings?” is a great place to start.

From Baby Loves Aerospace Engineering! Text copyright (c) 2016 by Ruth Spiro.
Illustration copyright (c) 2016 by Irene Chan.

As your baby grows, model a love of learning by sharing observations and asking questions about things you see every day—in your home, on a walk, or even in a book. Explore the world along with your child, and have fun making discoveries together!

Ruth Spiro’s debut picture book, Lester Fizz, Bubble-Gum Artist, was a Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year. The first two books in the Baby Loves Science series are Baby Loves Aerospace Engineering! and Baby Loves Quarks! She lives in Chicago, Illinois.